My in-laws have created an irrevocable trust in an attempt to avoid having nursing home costs take their life savings. The trust was established by a reputable elder law attorney but the wording in the trust itself is unintelligible to non lawyers.

Bad mistake, since if the trust is truly irrevocable it's a done deal. You'll just have to trust that he did what they wanted, unless you want another lawyer to review it. In any case, light candles that they don't need the care within the Medicaid lookback period or the whole scheme could unravel.

<rant>If they won't change the law so that I don't have to pay nursing home expenses for people who could pay for themselves but don't want to, the least they could do is change the law so that the heirs had to put bumper stickers on their luxury SUV's saying "My parents are on welfare."</rant>